From 1 July 2026, the fee to renew travel rights for Australian permanent residents tripled — from 490 to 1475 Australian dollars. At the same time, the government is tightening checks and can revoke status, while political parties propose limiting residents’ access to welfare payments. For the roughly one to two million PR holders, choosing between staying a resident and moving to citizenship has become a practical, not just ideological, decision.
What changed in the cost of residency
A permanent resident has the right to live and work in Australia indefinitely. However, travel rights to leave and re-enter last only five years. To re-enter after they expire, a resident must apply for a resident return visa (RRV).
Before 1 July 2026, this procedure cost 490 dollars. Now the price has risen to 1475 dollars — an increase of over 200%. If a resident had delayed the switch to citizenship for financial reasons, every five years will now require a much larger outlay.
For comparison: Australian citizenship grants the right to freely enter and leave for life, without additional visas or fees.
The risk of status cancellation
Permanent residency may seem secure, but it can be cancelled. Grounds include character issues involving the applicant, such as a criminal record, breaches of immigration law, or a threat to national security.
At the same time, the government has stepped up checks, and cancellations of visas and permanent status have become more frequent. For those who have lived on PR for many years, this threat is tangible, especially since the status cannot be restored once cancelled.
Political proposals to limit benefits
The Liberal Party of Australia, in its budget reply, proposed limiting permanent residents’ access to government payments: the jobseeker payment, the age pension, the disability support pension, and NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) services.
The Liberal Party is not currently in power, but parties with a more radical platform, such as One Nation, could adopt similar proposals. A change of government or a coalition between the Liberal Party and One Nation could lead to these restrictions being introduced.
Why people delay citizenship
About one to two million permanent residents live in Australia. Many of them have worked and paid taxes for years without switching to citizenship.
The main reason is the requirement to renounce their previous citizenship. Not all countries recognise dual citizenship. For many people this means a break with family abroad, loss of property rights, complicated financial transactions, and restricted access to consular services at home. For many, this is too high a price to pay.
The difference between residency and citizenship
A permanent resident can live in the country indefinitely, but their right to leave and freely re-enter lasts only five years. Once this period expires, they must renew their rights via an RRV, which is now more expensive.
A citizen can leave and return to Australia as often as they like throughout their life, without additional visas or fees. This is a fundamental difference: a resident is bound by conditions, a citizen is not.
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